The Ancient Faith Psalter

by Monks of the Orthodox Church

A dedicated group of Orthodox monks (who wish to remain anonymous) have created a fresh English translation of the Masoretic Hebrew text of the Psalter, corrected to the Septuagint, that is eminently readable and singable. Durable soft cover, with gold foil stamping. A frequently asked The Psalms aren't in numerical order in this Psalter. Why is that? When you read this Psalter, you'll notice that the Psalms are not in numerical order. That was done intentionally. This edition of the Psalter was created for prayer, at home or in church, rather than for reference. It's not just another Book of Psalms. That means the Psalms are organized according to the established cycle of daily readings for Orthodox Christian monastic practice. We follow the same order in our churches and our homes. If you'd like more information for reference purposes, we recommend the Book of Psalms (and its accompanying notes) in the Orthodox Study Bible.

Genres: Christianity

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2016

Reviews

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't speak to the translation since I really don't know how these things ought to be done, but I enjoyed hearing the psalms read and then chanted. Be advised it is in some Eastern Orthodox order so it isn't just 1-150 straight.

This was my third time all the way through Psalms, which is so much stranger than I had expected. It is probably a result of how prominent Psalm 23 is that I expected most of them to be triumphant, grateful, faithful in tone. So many of the psalms read like David (or whoever) trying to convince himself to believe. He's often surrounded by enemies and beset on all sides and God, if you can hear me, please help me. Oh no, God isn't coming, and they're getting closer... and oh no, they won this time but help me get my revenge and may the wicked get their comeuppance.

It is much more in media res than I would have expected. It isn't "as I look back, the Lord was always my shepherd" so much as "Oh God, please be my shepherd right at this instant I really need you." There is much more wrestling with doubt and theodicy than I predicted. I'm not sure that makes it always as comforting as people think.

There are some truly beautiful psalms that stand the test of time. I think Psalm 23 is deserving of its high standing. I would listen to this again or keep listening to other versions. I can see why people revisit these often.

[Terrell D Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audiobook, Table of Contents needs wirk

Great audiobook, Table of Contents needs work. I use this every day to pray the Psalms and follow along in the book but the TOC doesn't correlate to the book and one has to search for what chapter of the audiobook goes with what chapter of the book. Other than that the translation is wonderful, the narrator is clear; I'm glad to have found this version, especially as my eyes weaken with age.

[Josh Luukkonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairly simple Psalter, with the necessary divisions for kathisma and stases. I'd personally prefer a "King James English" version, but this reads well and easy. Book opens well, pages are cream color for easier reading. Made well, it seems. If you need a simple Psalter for daily or weekly readings, this one is great.